The San Francisco 49ers and tight end George Kittle are closing in on a new contract and could have something finalized soon, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Silver of NFL Network. Rapoport reported late last night that the two sides were on the cusp of an extension.
That, of course, follows a report by Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated that a six-year deal worth up to $94.8 million was ready to be announced by San Francisco. Kittle later seemingly denied that report.
Then Rapoport responded.
The respected NFL insider joined Good Morning Football this morning and further discussed his report from last night, which did not include the financial specifics of the impending deal.
"My understanding, according to sources — and this a report I had overnight with Mike Silver — the 49ers and star tight end George Kittle are closing in on a massive contract extension what will keep him in a 49ers uniform for years to come," Rapoport said. "One that would eclipse the highest-paid tight end, Austin Hooper, by a lot, one that could reach more than $14 million per year.
"This is a huge deal for George Kittle. If you're the 49ers, this really has been a priority for them, even before the Super Bowl. This is something they started working on right after the Super Bowl, just to make sure their big-time player was there for a long time.
"It took up until now, midway through training camp, but they are on the cusp of this deal. Not quite there yet, still one small hurdle to clear, but this is something that should be done fairly soon. 'Very close' is the term I was given for this deal."
From @GMFB: The #49ers and TE George Kittle are in the final stages of a monster contract to keep him in SF for years to come, one that will easily make him the highest-paid player at his position. pic.twitter.com/E1H1Fz7csg
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 13, 2020
Rapoport later said that the new deal between the 49ers and Kittle could come as early as today.
Kittle, a fifth-round gem found by the 49ers in the 2017 draft, has earned nearly $2 million in his three NFL seasons. He has earned two Pro Bowl selections and first-team All-Pro honors during back-to-back seasons of over 1,000 receiving yards.
In 2018, Kittle set an NFL single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end with 1,377.